Pointing Accrington brickwork.

[Poster]

Part of the frontage of my 1930's semi is in Accrington brick up to the level of the sill of the front room bay window. The remainder of the frontage is rendered and painted white. The Accrington brickwork requires repointing and a couple of firms are giving me estimates. One tells me that mastic is the best material to use the other tells me red sand and cement is best. Both say that a rub down with oil will give a good appearance. I know nothing of these things. What is the groups opinion on the best way to go, please, mastic or sand and cement?

Don

[sm_jamieson]

Not answering the question, but what is different about "accrington" brick to any other brick ? Using mastic to repoint bricks sounds bizzarre, also rubbing down with oil. Are these bricks glazed or something ? Simon.

[Poster]

I've heard them called 'engineering bricks' and Nori bricks, not glazed but very hard. They're used a lot up 'ere in't north and look rit grand when done proper.

Don

[NOSPAMnet]

Something like this

might help the OP as well

[Bruce]

Accrington brick is a bright red and has a semi-glazed appearance. It is highly water- and acid-resistant. It was extremely popular in the Lancashire mill towns where high rainfall, winter freeze/thaw cycles and acid rain from the mill chimneys made for a very aggressive environment that demanded a very durable brick.

In these towns, the only other way to get a waterproof building was to use stone, which was of course much more expensive.

Accrington bricks have continued to be used as engineering bricks in demanding environments from the 1880s until 2008. Sadly, the closure of the Accrington brick works, part of Marshalls, now owned by the Hanson Group, itself a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement, was announced only yesterday.

[R D S]

Aren't they!

I need to cut a 6 inch hole through some for a vent, it's a job i've been putting off.

[Bruce]

Link to news article in the "Lancashire Telegraph" about the closure:

[R D S]

Oddly...

'THE historic manufacturer of Accrington Brick is to close with bosses blaming the economic slowdown. '

[Poster]

That is very sad news, especially for the workers there. There are some mighty fine buildings in the North West built entirely of accrington brick, or Lancashire Bloods as I believe they were also known. I haven't made much progress with my query as to whether they should be pointed with sand & cement or mastic, but one of the DIY Forums had this: "Don't worry..I think we had the wrong materials in ours. I suppose we could sue the people who advised us but..... Just make sure you use sand and cement. You may not know about Accrington Brick ..it has very tight joins and is very non-porous so red mastic was suggested..it is now coming out."

I suppose that could be due to poor workmanship rather than the wrong material.

Don

[mick]

I've been looking for similar info as we have a gable end all built in Accrington brick and it looks to my untrained eye as if it could do with some pointing.

[Anna Kettle]

Which I suppose is why mastic was suggested because it will be easier to get into the crack between the bricks

You should use sand/cement mortar or better still sand/hydraulic lime mortar which is probably what was used originally. The pointing of a brick wall is a sacrificial layer and should be weaker than the brick (sounds easy in this case) and more porous than the brick (which mastic isnt) to give a route for water to find its way out

Water will find a way out one way or another and it has done it by blowing the mastic

Anna

-- Anna Kettle Lime plaster repair and conservation Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc Tel:    (+44)  01359 230642 Mob:  (+44)  07976 649862 Please look at my website for examples of my work at:

 

[Poster]

Thanks Anna, I will follow your advice.

(Enjoyed your website BTW)

Don

[Poster]

Looks like there's only Anna who knows anything about it!

Don

[Dragon Slayer]

Four parts building sand. One sharp sand. One lime. One cement. Cant go wrong with that mix for re-pointing.

[JTM]

When I were a lad,

Pointing Nori brick was done with what looked like red sand mixed with oil. There might have been other stuff in the mix- idon't know. One slight drawback was that the oil (linseed I believe) was popular with the sparrows who seemed to find it very palatable

John

[Bruce]

Are you sure you aren't thinking of "red raddle", which was a decorative treatment used to colour the bricks and/or mortar?

The bricks should be pointed with lime mortar. Treating afterwards with red raddle is optional. ;-)

[JTM]

Red raddle. A red pigment used to mark sheep / red iron ore.

Might be I recall that the dryish morter like stuff went into the joints and stood proud when finished. Definitely the joints and not the brick face. Accy Nori brick is often shiny anyway

John

[Bruce]

I think you recall correctly. In other parts of northern England, where Accrington brick was not the most popular choice, the red raddle was also used to colour the bricks. But as you say, it would not have adhered well to the Nori bricks.

[Phillip Holden]

replying to Poster, Phillip Holden wrote: Yes Accrington class A bricks are one of the best bricks in the World. The red Nori brick is the least porous of any other brick and I personally would recommend using "red mastic" to point between the joints. The joints between the bricks should be cleaned out first and then the vertical joints should be pointed first and then the horizontal. Tubs of Red Mastic can be bought from any decent builders merchants.

[Poster]

replying to Phillip Holden, Poster wrote: I'm sure the original poster has fixed the problem, or died, or something.

The OP is from 2008 you geniuses...